BACKGROUND

Occupations that require heavy vocal use can place the person at risk of voice disorders (VDs). Heavy demands on the voice, especially for a long time or with loud back-ground noise, can lead to vocal abuse or misuse. The study aimed to measure the prevalence of perceived voice disorders among the teaching faculty at a female university, identify the risk fac-tors that affect their voice, and determine the effect of perceived voice disorders on their quality of life (QoL).

METHODS

The study sample consisted of female teaching faculty (N = 401). The ques-tionnaire included general sociodemographic data, general voice data, the vocal tract discomfort (VTD) scale, and the World Health Organization Quality of Life assessment (WHOQOL)-BREF.

RESULTS

The results demonstrated that 44.1% of the participants had perceived voice disorders, and stress, reflux, and asthma had a significant relationship with self-perceived voice disorders. Furthermore, the data showed that self-perceived voice disorders negatively impacted the overall QoL of teaching faculty.

CONCLUSIONS

Perceived voice disorders are affected by various factors, including health conditions, medications, and lifestyle choices. Although teaching characteristics and demo-graphic factors are believed to be the cause, in this study they did not significantly contribute to perceived voice disorders. Faculty members with perceived voice disorders have a poorer quality of life, highlighting the need for education on preventative vocal measures and awareness of voice care.